According to a recent IGN report, Dead Space 3 will have drop-in, drop-out co-op. Allegedly, Isaac will have a guide with a heavy scar on his face, a RIG of his own, and his visor will glow red rather than blue.

Developer, Visceral Games, seem well aware that co-op inherently makes everything less scary, so they're tailoring the experience based on whether it's being played solo or in co-op. For example, certain scenes in single-player will have Isaac alone, whereas in co-op he'll have a partner. Some of Isaac's mental breakdowns and hallucinations from single player won't occur if he has a buddy by his side. By keeping the modes separate, co-op won't have an adverse effect on solo players the way playing through Resident Evil 5 with an incompetent AI did.

Players will be able to share resources and heal one another, but they won't be able to revive each other. If one player dies, it's game over for the duo.

While co-op seems like the biggest game-changer, here's what else we learned from the report:

The game will be set on a snowy wasteland planet. This falls in line with earlier reports of the game being set on the ice planet, Tau Volantis.

Isaac will be more nimble than before, with an evasive roll and the ability to take cover.

There will be an all new weapon customization system. The default plasma cutter's alternate fire will now be closer to the force gun's secondary "knock back" fire, while the pulse rifle's alternate fire launches saw blades. This hints at the possibility to mix and match alternate firing modes.

In addition to fighting "necromorphs" (Dead Space parlance for "tentacled space zombie"), Isaac will also fight human enemies for the first time in the series. This explain how cover might fit in.